what happens when my 1 year contract comes to an end?

[FelixLiegther]

My 1 year 32G for £8 a month is ending in 10 days time. What happens if I don't do anything? Do I get disconnected or do I automatically get moved to another contract?

[madasaf1sh]

@FelixLiegther 

It just moves to a rolling contract, it doesnt just disconnect when the contract finishes. 

This is all explained in the T&C's you read and agreed to at sign up.

[pgn · Accepted solution]

@FelixLiegther The current tariff remains in place, as mentioned above, unless you upgrade - £8 for 40GB for 12months via uswitch: https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/compare/sim_only_deals/o2/

This upgrade should be possible now, but you can text INFO to 85075 to check that there is not a redemption value owing to O2 before you go ahead.

Remember that Uswitch asks questions about "Upgrade", keeping your existing number, before passing you back to O2's system to complete the upgrade - if you forget this, you will get a new contract, with a new number, and your existing contract continues until you manually Guide: Cancelling Your Contract yourself and decide to Guide: Migration & porting into O2 to get your old number associated with the new contract.

You can retain the SIM you have, if it is a plastic one, and just move it into any new handset you buy - but if the existing SIM is more than about 4 years old, it may be better to exchange it for a new plastic sim in an O2 shop, ensuring you take valid photo id with you. Good luck!

[Enlli]

As it's due soon keep an eye on USwitch. All current  contracts and all upgrades will be getting the £1.80 price hike in April. 

It's a gamble but near the end of March that could change to a price rise in 2026

[japitts]

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@madasaf1sh wrote:

It just moves to a rolling contract, it doesnt just disconnect when the contract finishes. 

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This is quite an important point. Mobile contracts are not fixed-term ones, the logical extension of this would be all customers being automatically cut-off when their contract "ends". Imagine the complaints.

Mobile contracts are always rolling 30day notice ones, with a minimum-term. It is that minimum-term that people confuse with "contract ending"

[tjo30]

when you contract ends and you wish to leave, how does this work? do you have to give 30 days notice or can you just leave on the day your contract expires?

[madasaf1sh]

@tjo30 

You have a few options and all the details are in this guide here Guide: Cancelling Your Contract 

[japitts]

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@tjo30 wrote:

when you contract ends and you wish to leave, how does this work? do you have to give 30 days notice or can you just leave on the day your contract expires?

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The whole "contract ends" description is misleading and often confused. O2's contracts are not fixed-term ones - if they were, and the contract literally ended, then everyone's phone would be automatically cutoff on that date... imagine the complaints!

You have a rolling contract that only ends when you explicitly give 30days cancellation notice or use a PAC. Until that day, it continues. So you always need to give 30days notice.